Re: Harpsichord!!! What the???

"studiorat" <daveslevin@xxxxx> wrote in news:1133317134.470554.245180
@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

> I'm wondering about the harpsichord though, I've only ever seen one
> stored in the concert hall with a cover over it let alone put a mic
> near it...
>
> Has anybody any suggestions about what mic's I could try, placement or
> any other hidden dangers I should be looking out for. Shuld I approach
> it as I would a piano, should I put mic's inside it a la Pop piano or
> outside a la classical vibe... (I'll probably cover the thing in
> microphones, but a bit of guidance would be helpful)

Harpischords are mostly a percussion instrument. The fundamental tones
are wimpy and fade quickly. If you want them, get close. But you
probably don't want them.

When recording a harpsichord, you're listening for the "ching". In a
baroque orchestra, all you'll hear of it will be that sound reinforcing
the beat against the resonance of the other instruments except in solo
passages.

If you want lots of sound, record from above with the lid off. Don't get
too close, as the instrument box makes a ruckus with the tracker keyboard
and plucking mechanism and the sound needs a bit of room to gel. I've
used 414's before with excellent results, and a U-87 should be as good or
better. My first choice would be an AKG C451.

If you want a softer sound, record from the side (off axis). Putting the
lid on effectively mutes it. Volume drops significantly and most of the
highs disappear.

Remember that the microphone stand is your balance control.

With a group as small as you describe (really only one violin?) they can
be grouped together close enough that your stereo pair can sit anywhere
from 5 feet high on up. The higher you set up, the more harpsichord
you'll hear.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Aplogies to Dick Pierce
    ... an instrument VERY similar to the ... in Absolute Sound (it might have been stereophile or something ... clearly discern how the strings were arrayed on two levels. ... The unison strings in the harpsichord are indeed on exactly ...
    (rec.audio.opinion)
  • Re: fortepiano
    ... instruments sound awful, but modern copies of original instruments sound ... Not smooth and even the way good modern copies ... George Malcolm plays a late 1940's Thomas Goff harpsichord based on a 1778 Kirkman instrument, whilst Lionel Salter uses a 1953 fortepiano by Hugh Gough "after an instrument by Stein of Augsburg such was in use from the early 1770's to about 1790 and was praised by Mozart". ...
    (rec.music.classical.recordings)
  • Aplogies to Dick Pierce
    ... an instrument VERY similar to the ... in Absolute Sound (it might have been stereophile or something ... clearly discern how the strings were arrayed on two levels. ... The unison strings in the harpsichord are indeed on exactly ...
    (rec.audio.opinion)
  • Re: Harpsichord!!! What the???
    ... >> Harpsichord is both easy and tough to record. ... > I did sound briefly for a group in the early 1970s who had a plexiglas ... scores as an effect instrument, ... Oh, and it was hard to keep in tune, but at that time we ...
    (rec.audio.pro)
  • Re: Absolute Pitch, again
    ... To anyone just tuning in, leather plectrum in a harpsichord sound nice, but can hang up on top of the string after plucking, preventing repeated notes. ... The Pleyel has a charm and a nobility that I just don't hear in any historical instrument - of course this is a matter of taste. ... Strings were strung on a steel frame under incredible tension when compared to traditional instruments. ...
    (rec.music.classical.recordings)